Father Hummel

October 20, 1953, Appleton Post-Crescent

Growing up, I was regaled with stories of this man by my mother.  Even though he had passed on before I was born, Father Hummel had baptized my mother, performed her marriage, and had baptized several of my siblings before I came along.  In that "that was the way it was back then" voice, she told me of how strict he was.  Of course, it was a different era- the Latin Mass was the norm, he expected his students to tow the line, and he did not suffer fools gladly.  But at a time when the parish needed leadership, Father Hummel led St. Mary's through two world wars and the Great Depression.  His life was that of service, and he freely gave his all, as attested to in this article.